President

Erik Schmidt

“I strive to connect great people to great opportunities.”

Upon moving back to the United States, Erik was seeking a new role where he could combine his passion for politics and education and make a larger social impact. He found this combination with the YMCA where he became Program Director for Washington State Youth &Government. For the next four years, he would lead programming efforts that supported 1,200students across the state with over 35,000 annual volunteer hours. Erik managed a strict budget and supported fundraising efforts. He was responsible for marketing and recruitment and was able to grow the program participation 15% during his tenure. Outside of Washington State, Erik served on the National Youth Governors Conference Committee and chaired a committee to define the inclusion standards for transgender student housing.

Erik followed his girlfriend (and now wife) to Los Angeles to support her career in advertising. Having always been a competitive gamer, Erik joined the Esports recruitment at Riot Games to build out the Engineering and Technical teams. He then focused on placing leadership hires across multiple disciplines including Business Development, Development Management, Communications, and Player Management. Erik is a certified Diversity Recruiter and developed a Diversity Recruitment Training curriculum and led a discipline-wide training.Erik Schmidt’s origin story begins in Bellingham, Washington where he attended school at Western Washington University. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, he went on to complete his Master’s in Education. Following his thirst for adventure and new challenges, Erik moved to New Zealand to complete his student teaching internship and began his teaching career educating young Kiwis.

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Managing Partner - Aerospace & Defense

Amanda Clauss

“I strive to connect great people to great opportunities.”

Amanda is a trailblazer in executive search, specializing in the intersection of traditional aerospace and defense-tech. With over 15 years of experience, she partners with visionary leaders and growth-stage organizations to build the teams that shape the future of national security, autonomous systems, and advanced aerospace.
As Managing Partner of Talent SDK’s Aerospace and Defense Practice, Amanda leads high-stakes executive searches, business development, and project delivery with a focus on defense-tech, urban air mobility, UAVs, and next-gen AI applications. Known for her speed, precision, and deep industry fluency, Amanda brings a modern, data-informed approach to talent strategy. Her approach is built to move fast, think ahead, and deliver talent that thrives in high-stakes, mission-critical environments.
Since 2008, she has built an expansive, trusted network across aerospace, defense, high-tech manufacturing, and AI, with a track record of placing transformative talent at the Director, VP, and C-suite levels. A strategic operator at heart, Amanda is known for her ability to build lasting partnerships, juggle multiple priorities, and drive results in demanding, future-critical industries.

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